Archive for February, 2009
We are all familiar with apple pie and cinnamon bun. These are just two desserts that make use of the spice cinnamon in its recipe. We know cinnamon in powder form, pure or mixed with sugar. What most people don’t know is that the familiar powdered cinnamon comes from the cinnamon tree bark. The inner bark of the cinnamon is left to dry and this is the familiar fragrant, brown, rolled up thing that we see among the spices in the kitchen.
Cinnamon is principally employed in cookery as a condiment or flavoring but it has far more uses than that. Essential oils from cinnamon are believed to have antiseptic and antimicrobial effects. For this reason it is used more and more by people going in for massage. Related to this, the oil is used as a rub to warm parts of the body in cold weather. It is widely used as flavoring in the manufacture of cosmetics, thus we come across cinnamon flavored lipstick or cinnamon colored blush. Would you believe that it is also used as a love potion?
We have been drinking tea for years but are we even aware of where they come from? Contrary to common belief herbal tea can be made from anything other than the leaves of the tea bush. Fresh or dried flowers can be steeped in boiling water and they become tea. The seeds and roots of certain plants can be boiled to become the beverage that we refer to as herbal tea. Oftentimes, the combination of leaves, seeds and flavoring produces the soothing drink that we all love.
The popularity of herbal tea is traced to medicinal effects attributed to the beverage. It can be a stimulant or a relaxant, depending on the specific plant used. Tea is commonly taken after meals because it is believed to aid digestion as well as provide cleansing of the body. Because of its relaxing effect, it is claimed that tea supports a healthy heart. We should remember, though, that tea can have a different effect from person to person. So, try different varieties and determine what will work best for you.